What People are Saying About viBe:

“I am still haunted and inspired by the extraordinary performances by girls in viBe Theater Experience's show on Monday night. They created a piece imagining the experiences of the real-life 13-15 year old black girls (THIS IS A TRUE STORY!) who protested segregation at a movie theatre in Georgia in 1963 and were locked up in a stockade for nearly TWO MONTHS with no running water, barely edible raw hamburgers and only cement floors to sleep on, and yet... they created performances every day to perform for the white security guard, their only audience… Thank you for keeping these stories alive and for inspiring us to recognize the creativity, strength, heart and beauty of teenage girls!” -viBe CoFounder

"I am so grateful for the viBe Theater Program! I have watch our young women become more confident, caring and creative as a result of their work with viBe. Many of the girls have deepened their understanding of themselves and found that they are truely interested in writing and producing their own work. Thank you viBe for empowering young women!" -Jill Coon, Theatre Educator, Brooklyn High School of the Arts

"viBe is an organization that I am proud to support. Their work with young women of color is phenomenal, and their original performances speak to the many issues that we should all care about!" -Ty Hunter, Fashion Director and Stylist to Beyoncé

"These amazing women testified at the NYC Council on the changing landscape of Art in Trump America. viBe Theater Experience inspires teenage girls to write and perform original theater, video, and music about real life issues." -Laurie Cumbo, City Council Majority Leader

"viBe's work is engaging, provocative, and above else honest. In a society that often tries to silence and control the emotions and perspectives of girls of color, their candor is deeply refreshing. I had the privilege of facilitating a workshop with them and witnessing firsthand how they've created a real sense of community, confidence, and deepening of their own artistry. I am thrilled to be a member of the board and honored to be a part of the organization's growth!" -Rebecca Kelly Golfman, Racial Justice Facilitator, Theatre Artist & viBe Board Member

"viBeStages and viBeResidencies have been a tremendous addition to Achievement First University Prep. The atmosphere that viBe provides allows our students a safe space to process their opportunities, feelings, and experiences. I have seen our viBe girls develop into young women who are more confident in themselves. We are so grateful for the partnership!" —Khrysta Evans, Achievement First Programs Coordinator

“My work schedule was very hectic, and for awhile I was missing her life that’s why she was crying… although she always knows I’m there. But you know I have to work on this because I go to work while they’re at school, I come home and they’re in bed. I’m sleeping while they’re leaving, it wasn’t right. So I was really fucking up there. So I changed my work schedule so that I could come here... that’s why you see a smile on her face. And everything because there’s a change” -viBe Parent

"It was exciting to connect Theater of the Oppressed NYC and viBe this year, to share approaches to income strategies and build longer term organizational relationships that can offer support on the topic of sustainability for art and non-profits. This excitement is also fed by my deep respect for the powerful performances created by young women of viBe, who shine on stage and shake the foundations!" -Sulu Leonimm, Joker and Program Director TONYC

"viBe has shown great strength, character, and flexibility since joining the Youth Inc Partner Network. Utilizing the resources available to them, viBe has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. Recently, viBe was awarded a BridgeFund Grant to continue to build their staffing capacity and have also begun the metrics program to assess the social emotional learning outcomes of their girls. We are excited to take this journey with them in supporting their growth as an outstanding youth-centered organization in New York City." -Tracie Gilstrap,

Impact

viBe engages over 325 girls and young women (ages 13-24) through free, after school programs, while also reaching over 600 NYC public school students and 1,500 audience members through performances at professional venues. NYC public schools had a 74.3%% overall graduation rate in 2017, with 70% of black students and 68.3% of Hispanic students having graduated by August 2017, compared with 83.2% of white students. However viBe has always maintained a 100% high school graduation rate from our participants. We help with college readiness, internships, applications, and assist girls with making plans for their lives post high school. Over 90% of viBe girls continue on to enroll in college, attending such universities as: Syracuse, Temple, Hunter, St. John’s, SUNY Purchase, Simmons and more. In the future, we aim to inspire 100% of them to enroll in college through the mentorship we provide them during and after our programs. Over 50% of our alumnae since 2002 remain in touch with us via email, Facebook and attend viBe performances and fundraisers. They also return to volunteer, intern and lecture for current viBe girls.

Our audiences that we engage, mirror our participants’ demographics. viBe’s audiences are comprised of friends, teachers, family of the girls we serve and theatre lovers and arts activists. Our artists produce “new work that is relevant to diverse Brooklyn audiences”: experienced and inexperienced theatergoers. Our audiences represent a vast range of ages, genders, and ethnicities but many of them lack access to relatable, accessible theater. By keeping our performances free for families with suggested donations at the end of each show, we create an environment in which interested individuals can experience free, quality theater.